Package handle



Aug. 30, 1938. w. F. ZETTLER 2,128,723

' PACKAGE HANDLE Filed April 17, 1937 AORN.

Patented Aug. 30, 1938 umrsn STATES earner eternit- 3 Claims.

' manufacture which may be readily applied to a package having slots spaced apart a distance corresponding to the gripping tongues of the handle. The object is further to provide a handle which will act to strengthen the material of the packageas paper, cardboard, or the like, so that the so strengthened paper will resist any tearing action, and instead give a good hold to the handle.

The invention consists of a strap handle made of a material having a certain rigidity and still a certain resiliency, and made of an integral piece readily stamped out of a sheet blank, and such handle has a body portion adapted to be gripped by the hand, and two like end portions, each having a cut-out gripping tongue, with the tip of each tongue facing the other. These tongues are bent out of the body portion, and due to the inherent characteristics remain in bent-out position, both before and during use. When the tongues enter the tongue-slots in the package, the width of the slots being substantially the width of the tongue ends, the paper or the like of the package is clamped between the tongues and the body portion of the handle, and the so clamped paper is made relatively rigid, and pressure and tearresistant.

The handle is applied by simply inserting its gripping tongues in recesses or slots in the paper or the like of the package, and by the engagement so brought about, the package may be readily carried by the handle.

The handle is particularly applicable to the cardboard cases now generally in use for the transportation of beer bottles or cans of beer, either a half dozen, a dozen, or two dozen. The handle provides an extended surface for advertising matter.

The invention consists of further features to be hereinafter described, and embodiments will be shown in the drawing, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved handle;

Figure 2 is a side view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial side view of a part of the handle shown as engaging a slot or recess of the material of which the package is made; 7

Figure 4 is a side view of the improved handle shown as applied to the top of a package;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a package with the improved handle applied thereto;

Figure 6 is a partial plan view of the one end of the handle engaging a slot; and

Figure '7 is a plan view of an alternative form of the gripping tongue and end of the handle.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2. The body portion in is narrowed in respect to its ends 5 l and 12. The entire handle is curved or arched, in bow fashion. It is made of a fibre material, which when acted upon by heat and pressure retains the intended shape. Nevertheless, the handle and its parts are bendable and give or yield under pressure.

The ends, H and i2, have each a cut out, I3 and M, and the cut-out tongue, l5 and lB,is pressed outwardly or downwardly as shown in Figure 2. The tongues i 5 and l t, when so pressed down from the body portion ill of the handle, are so shaped as to be in the same plane as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The tongues l5 and I6 are blunted at their tips. The tips, i'i'and l8, face each other. The bases 89 and 28 of the tongues are integral with the body portion ill. The ends I I and i2 are blunted, with curved corners, as shown in Figure 1. The lateral margins of the tongues l5 and it are separated from the body portion ill by narrow recesses 3i and 32. The ends H and I2 may be sharpened, as shown in Figure 7, where the tips of the tongues are also sharpened. The handle has one uniform thickness, depending on the thickness of the material of which it is made.

The handle is applied by first inserting one end through the slot 25 of the package 26, as shown in Figure 3, until the tongue l5, for instance, passes through the slot 25, and then the end of the handle is given a reverse movement, in order that the tip I! of the tongue i5 rides along the inner wall of the package, for which reason the tip is made preferably blunt as shown in Figure 1, until the inner side 28 of the tongue l5, that is, the side facing the body portion, contacts flush with the inner wall of the package, as shown in Figure 4. The end H simply retains the general direction of the body portion l0 and sticks out into the air, free from contact with the package.

When the end of the handle reaches this position as described, it has at the same time clamped the material of which the package is made between the tongue and the two adjacent parts of the ends of the body portion. The material is over the tongue 15 and under the two adjacent strap portions 29 and 30, as shown in Fig. 4. The so clamped material is thereby given a rigidity and is made pressure resistant and tear resistant. The weight of the package upon the held handle increases this clamping action, so that the greater the pull on the handle, the greater the clamping and resistance to tearing. Instead of having a blunt end, it can be pointed, as at 34, as shown in Figure 7, which pointed end facilities its entry into the slot, and instead of blunting the tip of the tongue, it can be made sharp as at 35, which avoids the removal of material, as shown'by the space 36 in Figure 1.

Whatever may be the shape of the end or tip of the tongue, the tongue stamped out of the ends forms a bite with the ends of the body portion for the package material and strengthens it,

by the tongue acting with the straps of the ends of the body portion.

The top of the handle can be used for advertising matter (not shown).

In Figure 5 is shown the standard package 3'! for bottles or cans of beer 38, with my improved handle applied thereto.

There are therefore three important functions, the material entering the bite, with the tongue being flush with the package material; secondly, the material entering the recesses between tongue and straps, with the material being over the tongue and under the straps; and, thirdly, the lifting action of the ends of the handle upon the package.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations, modifications, and adaptations as come within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I 1. A package handle comprising a body portion having ends, and pressed-out tongues having their tips facing each other, and having their tips spaced from said body portion, the pressedout tongues being substantially on a straight line, and said body portion being curved away from said line, said package handle being formed of a rigid material having sufiicient resiliency to permit the movement of the tongues towards the ends when said ends pass through the slots of a package, said tongues being adapted to return to their position to face against the material of the package at its inner side upon pulling the curved body portion of the package handle.

2. In combination with a package having slots, a package handle having a body portion having ends, and pressed-out tongues at said ends, said tongues having their tips facing each other and having their tips spaced from said body portion, said ends with the tongues being adapted to engage the slots of the package and hold the material of the package between the tongues and the material of the handle forming the ends for stiffening the material so held, said package handle being formed of a rigid material having sufiicient resiliency to permit the movement of the spaced tongues towards the ends when the ends are inserted into the slots of the package, said tongues being adapted to engage against the material of the package upon pulling the curved body portion of the package handle.

3. In combination with a package with slots,

a package handle having a body portion having ends, and pressed-out tongues at said ends centrally thereof, the tips of said tongues facing each other, and the tongues being spaced from said ends to form an angle therewith, and said tongues adapted to engage with the inner side of the material of the carton, and the adjacent end portions the outer side of the material, the material entering the bite between the tongues and end portions, the handle being made of fibre, and of rigid yet resilient character, the package being adapted to be supported by the handle when its tongues and end portions engage the slotted material of the package.

WILLIAM F. ZET'ILER. 

